Several leading Indian universities have suspended their academic Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Turkish institutions, citing national security concerns. The latest to act is Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi, which announced the immediate suspension of all MoUs with institutions affiliated with the Government of the Republic of Turkey. In a social media post, Jamia said, It stands firmly with the Nation. Adding to the wave of academic disengagement, the Maulana Azad National Urdu University in Hyderabad has also cancelled its academic Mou with the Yunus Emre Institute in Turkey with immediate effect.

Earlier, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) also suspended its own Mou with Inonu University in Turkey. The agreement, signed earlier this year on February 3, was intended to promote collaborative research and student exchanges.

These decisions came as a result of Ankara’s strong support for Pakistan and its criticism of India’s recent strikes on terror camps. Turkey’s alignment with Pakistan on key strategic and defence issues has triggered domestic calls in India for a boycott of Turkish products and tourism.